Trousers with adjustable waist

ABSTRACT

In a pair of trousers having slits in the sides thereof extending through the waistband, and closures for holding flap portions of the waistband at each slit in adjustable, overlapping relationship, each closure includes a guide strip on which two slides are movable guided. A first slide carries a clamping lever equipped with a cam for locking engagement with the strip and a pivoted handle which, in its operative position, holds the clamping lever in locking engagement with the strip and conceals the first slide from view. The legs of a U-shaped link are hinged to the handle, and the bight portion of the link is hinged to the second slide which is fastened to one of the two flap portions, the strip being fastened to the other flap portion.

United States Paten Appl. No.: 161,654

Foreign Application Priority Data Sept. 26,1970 Germany ..o 70 35 712.9 March 25, 1971 Germany ..P 21 I4 407.0

24/206 B, 206 R, 7l T, 7.1'ST' References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Markin .2/ 237 Corser ..24/ 71 ST Sato ..2/ 237 Hinderer 51 Nov. 28, 1972 [54] TROUSERS WITH ADJUSTABLE FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS WAIST I 1,084,677 9/1967 Great Britain ..24/206B Inventor; Rolf r n g i y 214,449 8/1941 Switzerland ..24/206B [73] Assignee: Rolf Hinderer Gmb, Nagold, Germany Primary Examiner-l-l. Hampton Hunter 22 Filed: July 12, 1971 ABSTRACT strip and conceals the first slide from view. The legs of a U-shaped link are hinged to the handle, and the bight portion of the link is hinged to the second slide which is fastened to one of the two flap portions, the strip being fastened to the other flap portion.

9 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENIED Nov 28 I972 Fig. 7

AGPINTS TROUSERS WITH ADJUSTABLE WAIST This invention relates to trousers with adjustable waist, and particularly to closures which adjustably connect flaps of a waistband on either side of a slit in the waistband and adjacent portions of the trousers approximately above the side pockets.

It is known to equip trousers, whose tops are slitted above the side pockets with adjustable closures permitting the waist of the trousers to be adjusted. The known closures are relatively difiicult to operate so as to require two hands for adjustment, and particularly forrelease from an adjusted position. Many such closures are esthetically unsatisfactory.

An object of the instant invention is the provision of trousers of the type referred to with a closure that can readily be set and adjusted by means of one hand. Another object is the provision of a closure which has a pleasant decorative appearance.

With these and other objects in view, the invention is concerned with a closure on trousers of the type described for holding terminal flap portions of a waistband adjacent the slit in adjustable overlapping relationship. The closure of the invention includes a guide strip mounted on one of the flap portions and elongated transversely of the slit. Two slides are secured to the strip in movable guiding engagement while spaced from each other longitudinally of the strip. A releasable clamping device can prevent longitudinal movement of a first slide on which the clamping device is mounted. A handle is pivoted to the first slide for movement toward and away from its operative position in which it prevents release of the clamping device. The handle is connected to the second slide by a link which moves the second slide toward the first slide in response to movement of the handle toward its tion of a preferred embodiment when considered in connection with the attached drawing in which:

. FIG. 1 shows a waist portion of trousers provided with a closure of the invention in side elevation, portions of the trouser fabric being broken away for a better view of the closure which is in the closed condition;

FIG. 2 shows the device of FIG. 1 in the released condition of the closure;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are fragmentary top plan views of the waist portion in the conditions of FIGS. 1 and 2 respectively.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, there is only shown as much of an otherwise conventional pair of trousers as is needed for an understanding of the invention. The illustrated part is the waist portion of the trousers above the left side pocket, and a mirror image of a corresponding part above the right side pocket.

An approximately rack-shaped reinforcing strip of between two rows of integral teeth on the strip 1, leaving the longitudinal edges of the strip 1 free. The rear end of the strip 1 is provided with an abutment 4 which limits rearward movement of a slide 5 on the strip 1. The slide is approximately Ufshaped in cross section, and its flanges have inturned edges so as to envelop the free edges of the strip 1 in guiding engagement. A locking lever 6 'pivotally mounted on the slide 5 has a long arm best seen in FIGS. 2 and 4, and a short arm having the shape of an eccentric cam and passing through an opening in the slide 5 for locking engagement with the teeth of the guide strip 1, the cooperation of the slide 5, the locking lever 6, and the strip 1 being so closely similar to the cooperation of the slider in a trouser slide fastener with the scoops or locking elements of the slide fastener chain as not to require more detailed pictorial representation. The abutment 4, which functions in the manner of a bottom stop in a slide fastener, also further attaches the strip 1 by being fixedly fastened to a backing plate 7 on the inner face of the flap 3. It will be appreciated that the abutment 4 and backing plate 7 may be replaced by a bartack of the type commonly employed as a bottom stop in a slide fastener used for closing the fly of trousers.

A tongue 8 integral with the slide 5 projects from the latter obliquely away from the abutment 4 and the strip 1 and is fastened to an elongated handle 9 by a pivot pin 10 whose axis is perpendicular to the direction of slide movement on the strip 1. The handle 9 is approximately U-shaped in cross section and extends in a shallow arc longitudinally of the strip 1, the exposed face of the handle being convex in the closed or operative position of the handle 9 seen in FIGS. 1 and 3. In that position of the handle, it completely covers and obscures the slide 5 and the lever 6, holding the latter in the locking position.

The pivot pin 10 passes through the flanges of the handle 9 at one end of the handle, and inturned ends of the legs on an approximately U-shaped link 11 enter into openings in theflanges spaced from the other end flexible plastic is attached by a seam 2 to the rear flap 3 by approximately one third of the handle length for hingedly securing the link to the handle 9. The bight portion of the link 111, which connects the legs, is movably received in a sleeve 12 integral with a second slide 13 guided on the strip 1 in the same manner as described above with reference to the slide 5. The link 11 thus connects the handle 9 to the slide 13 in such a manner that the second slide 13 is moved toward the first slide 5 in response to movement of the handle 9 from the position of FIGS. 2 and 4 towards the operative position shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, and vice versa.

The slide 13 is fastened to the inner layer of a foldedover edge part on the front flap 16 of the waistband by lateral lugs 14 extending through the inner flap layer and being bent over into recesses of a small retaining plate 15 received between the two layers of the edge part and thereby normally concealed from view.

In the operative position of the handle 9, the pivot axes of the link 11 in the sleeve 12 and through the flanges of the handle 9 define a plane which is offset from the axis of the pivot pin 10 toward the strip 1. The tension which normally pulls the flaps 3, l6 apart during use thus holds the handle 9 in the operative position, and the handle is further secured in that position by dimples 17 in the outer faces of its flanges corresponding to projections on the inner faces and releasably engaging recesses 18 of the slide 5.

The closure illustrated is operated as follows, starting from the closed condition shown in FIGS. 1 and 3:

When the handle 9 is pivoted away from the operative position, the aforementioned tension acting on the flaps 3, 16 is transmitted by the strip 1 to the cam on the clamping lever 6, and the lever is pivoted away from its locking position. The slide 5 may now move freely on the guide strip 1. The slide 13 moves away from the slide 5 as the handle 9 is swung through an arc of approximately 180 into the position of FIGS. 2 and 4. The flaps 3, 16 move apart, and their movement may be stopped by swinging the handle 9 back into the operative position after adjusting the position of the slide 5 for a tighter or a looser waist by means of the handle 9 while the same is sufficiently near the inoperative position of FIGS. 2 and 4 so as not to lock the lever 6. The latter is automatically engaged with the strip 1 by abutting engagement of the longer lever arm with sufficiently concave face of the handle 9 as the handle is being moved into its operative position.

The handle 9 is large enough to be readily grasped by one hand which may easily perform all the necessary adjusting and locking or unlocking movements of the handle. In the closed position illustrated in FIG. 1, only the convex handle face and portions of the link 11 are exposed to view and have a pleasing decorative effect. The plastic of the strip 1 is chosen to have a color that blends with that of the waistband flap 3, and the metallic abutment 4, if objectionable, may be replaced by an inconspicuous bartack, as mentioned above. A similar bar tack, not shown, limits movement of the slide 13 on the rail 1 away from the slide 5.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing disclosure relates only to a preferred embodiment of the invention, and that it is intended to cover all modifications and changes in the example of the invention herein chosen for the purpose of the disclosure which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a pair of trousers including a waistband, the trousers having a lateral slit transversely extending through the waistband, and a closure for holding two terminal flap portions of said waistband adjacent said slit in adjustable, overlapping relationship, the improvement in the closure which comprises:

a. a guide strip mounted on one of said flap portions and elongated transversely of said slit;

b. a first slide member and a second slide member secured to said strip in movable guiding engagement and spaced from each other longitudinally of said strip;

0. releasable locking means on said first slide member for preventing longitudinal movement of the same on said strip;

. a handle means pivoted to said first slide member for movement toward and away from an operative position, said handle means in said operative position preventing release of said locking means;

e. link means connecting said handle member to said second slide member for moving said second slide member toward said first slide member in response to movement of said handle member toward said operative position, and for moving the second slide member away from the first slide member in response to movement of the handle member away from said operative position; and

f. fastening means fastening said second guide member to the other flap portion.

2. In a pair of trousers as set forth in claim 1, said locking means including a locking member pivotally mounted on said first slide member for movement toward and away from a locking position of engagement with said strip, said handle member abuttingly engaging said locking member and moving the same toward said locking position when said handle member moves toward said operative position, said handle member being dimensioned substantially completely to cover said first slide member and said locking member when in said operative position.

3. In a pair of trousers as set forth in claim 2, cam means on said locking member engaging said strip and locking the first slide member to said strip in the locking position of said locking member, said cam means responding to movement of said first slide member on said strip toward said second slide member for pivoting said locking member away from the locking position.

4. In a pair of trousers as set forth in claim 1, said fastening means including a retaining member, said second slide member and said retaining member receiving said second flap portion therebetween, and lugs projecting from said second slide member through said second flap portion and received in respective recessed portions of said retaining member.

5. In a pair of trousers as set forth in claim 4, said second flap portion having an edge part formed by two layers of flap material superimposed on said second slide member, said lugs passing through one of said layers, and said retaining member being received between said two layers.

6. In a pair of trousers as set forth in claim 1, abutment means on said strip and offset from said first slide member in a direction away from said second slide member for limiting movement of said first slide member on said strip in the last-mentioned direction.

7. In a pair of trousers as set forth in claim 6, said abutment means including attaching means fixedly attaching said strip to said first flap portion.

8. In a pair of trousers as set forth in claim 1, said link means including a substantially U-shaped link member having two leg portions pivotally engaging said handle member and a bight portion connecting said leg portions, a sleeve on said second slide member formed with a passage therethrough transverse to the direction of elongation of said strip and receiving said bight portion for hinged movement of the link member on said second slide member.

9. In a pair of trousers as set forth in claim 1, a projection on said handle member engaging a recess in said first slide member in said operative position of the handle member.

* or a 

1. In a pair of trousers including a waistband, the trousers having a lateral slit transversely extending through the waistband, and a closure for holding two terminal flap portions of said waistband adjacent said slit in adjustable, overlapping relationship, the improvement in the closure which comprises: a. a guide strip mounted on one of said flap portions and elongated transversely of said slit; b. a first slide member and a second slide member secured to said strip in movable guiding engagement and spaced from each other longitudinally of said strip; c. releasable locking means on said first slide member for preventing longitudinal movement of the same on said strip; d. a handle means pivoted to said first slide member for movement toward and away from an operative position, said handle means in said operative position preventing release of said locking means; e. link means connecting said handle member to said second slide member for moving said second slide member toward said first slide member in response to movement of said handle member toward said operative position, and for moving the second slide member away from the first slide member in response to movement of the handle member away from said operative position; and f. fastening means fastening said second guide member to the other flap portion.
 2. In a pair of trousers as set forth in claim 1, said locking means including a locking member pivotally mounted on said first slide member for movement toward and away from a locking position of engagement with said strip, said handle member abuttingly engaging said locking member and moving the same toward said locking position when said handle member mOves toward said operative position, said handle member being dimensioned substantially completely to cover said first slide member and said locking member when in said operative position.
 3. In a pair of trousers as set forth in claim 2, cam means on said locking member engaging said strip and locking the first slide member to said strip in the locking position of said locking member, said cam means responding to movement of said first slide member on said strip toward said second slide member for pivoting said locking member away from the locking position.
 4. In a pair of trousers as set forth in claim 1, said fastening means including a retaining member, said second slide member and said retaining member receiving said second flap portion therebetween, and lugs projecting from said second slide member through said second flap portion and received in respective recessed portions of said retaining member.
 5. In a pair of trousers as set forth in claim 4, said second flap portion having an edge part formed by two layers of flap material superimposed on said second slide member, said lugs passing through one of said layers, and said retaining member being received between said two layers.
 6. In a pair of trousers as set forth in claim 1, abutment means on said strip and offset from said first slide member in a direction away from said second slide member for limiting movement of said first slide member on said strip in the last-mentioned direction.
 7. In a pair of trousers as set forth in claim 6, said abutment means including attaching means fixedly attaching said strip to said first flap portion.
 8. In a pair of trousers as set forth in claim 1, said link means including a substantially U-shaped link member having two leg portions pivotally engaging said handle member and a bight portion connecting said leg portions, a sleeve on said second slide member formed with a passage therethrough transverse to the direction of elongation of said strip and receiving said bight portion for hinged movement of the link member on said second slide member.
 9. In a pair of trousers as set forth in claim 1, a projection on said handle member engaging a recess in said first slide member in said operative position of the handle member. 